pumpkin roll + browned butter cream

It’s pumpkin season! There are pumpkins all over the house, the stores and in all our recipes. The most fabulous sweet treat that exudes pumpkin is a classic Pumpkin Roll. This recipe takes the tricky technique of rolling the cake without it splitting and makes it, well, a piece of cake. The best part is it can be made quickly and freezes well for a snowy day.

All ready for fall!

I have been on somewhat of a hiatus from blogging. This summer I closed the chapter on my restaurant food writing hobby. Don’t get me wrong, I loved meeting the chefs and owners and especially LOVED eating all the amazing food. My favorite part was sharing these experiences through my food photography. The writing part? Well, I enjoyed it until I did not. There were times I felt like I had a college paper to write every weekend and sadly, it stressed me out.

So since this summer, I took a break from writing, for restaurants and for my blog. The break from my hobby did not last long, as I booked two food photography gigs at local Savannah restaurants. I have been so busy shooting and editing that I have not had time to blog!

Restaurant food photography shoots are my absolute favorite thing to do! I still get to meet amazing people, see and smell delectable food and get to share it with everyone. Then, if I haven’t eaten there already (which is rare), I always make time to go back and dine on the fine food I shot.

So here I am, finally taking a moment to share a seasonal recipe with you and making time to write about it. It feels great to start this back up again.

The Great British Baking Show is one of my favs. I don’t know if it’s the accents, bubbly music or baked goods, but something about it makes me so happy. After watching the contestants bake crave worthy goodies, I am always ready to do it myself.

When making swiss rolls, the challenge was to make sure the cake did not break when rolling it up. Also, when cutting plump round spirals, they had to be careful not to smash the log.

This recipe is fool proof. The key is to make sure the cake sponge is thin enough to roll and it must be rolled piping hot straight out of the oven.

It was my first time making a Pumpkin Roll and it was a sweet success! Ready?

ingredients

PUMPKIN CAKE INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

optional: powdered sugar (to sprinkle on at the end)

CREAM CHEESE FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1 (8 ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

Step 5: Cooling Pumpkin Roll

TO MAKE THE PUMPKIN ROLL:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a 9 x 11 pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch of parchment hanging over the length sides of the pan (If you’d like the parchment to stick to the bottom of the pan, spray pan on the pan and press the parchment right onto it.)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl, until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and granulated sugar for 1 minute until thick. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin, and whisk until just combined. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, and stir together until just combined.

Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (for convection), or until top of cake springs back when touched.

When done, carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat heat-proof surface. Then slowly use your hands to roll the cake — short end to the short end — until it is completely rolled up. Transfer the cake roll to a wire rack and cool until it reaches room temperature (see picture above).

While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese filling: Brown butter (until amber colored) in a pan over medium heat (about 5 minutes). In a mixer, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, browned butter and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. If the filling is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a splash of milk/cream.

Once the cake has reached room temperature, transfer the cake roll to a flat surface, and carefully un-roll the Pumpkin Roll until it is flat (the ends may curl, that’s okay).

Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll. Discard parchment paper. Tightly wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.

When ready to eat, transfer the roll to a serving platter. Lightly dust the pumpkin roll on all sides with powdered sugar.

Using a serrated knife, gently slice off about 1/2 inch from each end (to make nice neat sides) and serve.

If you have leftovers, wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.